Overview
The Columbia 50 is a William Tripp Jr. design from Columbia Yachts in California, one of the first large fiberglass production yachts, built from 1965 to 1972, with 62 completed.
Design and Construction
sailboatdata.com lists a fin keel with a spade rudder, 50 ft overall on a 33.25 ft waterline, 12.03 ft of beam and 6.52 ft of draft. Displacement is 32,000 lb with 14,600 lb of ballast, and the masthead sloop carries about 979 sq ft. Good Old Boat’s history of Columbia Yachts says the C-50 was announced in late 1965 and described it as the largest production fiberglass sailing yacht in existence, with a traditional-looking hull above the waterline, a long flush deck and a relatively small rounded doghouse that anticipated Tripp’s bubbletop designs. Good Old Boat’s piece on Bill Tripp calls it his first attempt to fit a fin keel and spade rudder on a conventional hull. Another Good Old Boat article on Tripp’s work says the 50 stands out for a more moderate approach to fullness in the ends.
Ocean Racing Record
Hotspur II finished the Marion-Bermuda Race in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2025. Good Old Boat records that a Columbia 50 called Six Pack dominated Seattle’s racing scene for years. Columbia also offered the design as a Sailcrafter kit, listed as the Sailcrafter 50.
Buyers Notes
Any Columbia 50 is now well over 50 years old; survey the hull, keel attachment, rudder and rig as for any boat of that age.
